Daphne Kuhn – theatre’s guardian angel

Countless successful South African performers attribute much of their nurture and growth to one woman: Daphne Kuhn.

In fact, some of them were given their big break by Kuhn, the owner and founder of Theatre on the Square in Sandton that celebrates it 30th birthday this month.

The consummate Jewish mama of divas and performers, Kuhn has made it her mission not only to deliver exceptional entertainment, but to give talent a chance.

In little more than one year, a young actor, Daniel Anderson, 24, has become a big name in musical theatre in South Africa. He wrote and performed in the shows Vincent and Mad about The Boys at Theatre on the Square to huge acclaim.

He was a virtual unknown, he said, except in East London where he hails from. That is, until Kuhn gave him a break.

Anderson walked into Theatre on the Square while walking around Sandton City, without so much as an appointment. “I knocked on Daphne’s door, and she came out, asking who I was,” he recalls. Within minutes, they were chatting, and it didn’t take long for her to spot his talent and agree to co-produce Vincent at her theatre.

“I left there feeling this lightness, especially considering I was a nobody from the Eastern Cape. I had gone in cold, and Daphne was so embracing and warm.”

Said Kuhn, “I read reviews all the time, and I had heard of what he was doing in East London. I could tell this was going to work.”

Vincent, now a multi award-winning production, is about to open its third season at Theatre on the Square after it sold out the first two seasons.

“Daphne isn’t just kind and generous and all those wonderful things. She’s hugely knowledgeable about theatre, what audiences want, and she’s a clever businesswoman,” Anderson said. “She’s a rare combination in this industry that can be cold and unfriendly. She gave me a shot, and I haven’t looked back.”

Harry Sideropoulos, an award-winning stage actor and singer, attributes the beginning of his theatrical career to Kuhn, who took a chance on him more than 23 years ago.

“I was a nobody who wanted to do a comedy about losing weight and the battle of the bulge,” said Sideropoulos. “I hadn’t even finished writing the script and she said, ‘Let’s do it’ and opened her theatre to me.

“She’s wise and kind, with a deep sense of what will work. However, she has taken risks with unknown artists as well as known artists with projects that haven’t been done before.”

For Kuhn, it’s less about being a fairy godmother and helping people become stars than about seeing talent, drive, and commitment, and nurturing it. “You can’t always go with what’s tried and tested. It’s important to allow talent to grow and try things you believe will draw an audience, old and new,” she said.

Around 2001, Kuhn launched a show titled Drumstruck in her theatre. Warren Lieberman, the creator of The Drum Café, a team-building initiative, decided to turn what he did into a theatrical production. Billed as the world’s first interactive drum theatre experience, Lieberman was able to do it because Kuhn gave him a chance.

Drumstruck has since performed on Broadway, and toured the world including countries like China, Australia, and Japan to sellout audiences. “Daphne took a risk with us. No-one else was interested in a mad drumming show, but she saw the potential,” said Lieberman. “True to her abilities as a theatre maestro, our first season was hugely successful. However, on the last night, we somehow miscommunicated and ended up selling more tickets than the venue could handle.

“She organised another show to fit between the two sold-out shows that day, and we ran three fantastic shows to end our first run. Nobody had any complaints.”

Multi award-winning actor and director James Ngcobo, who became the artistic director of the Market Theatre Foundation and later artistic director of the Joburg City Theatre, also attributes much of his theatrical confidence to Kuhn.

“I had already started directing when I met Daphne, but she encouraged me to do things that others shied away from. While driving down to Cape Town, I was inspired to direct Athol Fugard’s Boesman and Lena, and I called Daphne and told her. And so, we did it in 2012. She believed in me, and that made it all possible, whereas most people would never allow a youngster like me to take something like that on,” he said.

“Daphne holds a strong space as an interpreter for emerging voices, which I was at the time. She recognises the passion and devotion people have for their art, and she gives them the opportunity and confidence to fly – and they do,” said Ngcobo.

Stand-up comedian Nik Rabinowitz, who has performed at Theatre on the Square every year – sometimes more than once – for the past 15 years, refers to Kuhn as “a guardian angel for insecure artists with imposter syndrome”.

“I love her, and deeply appreciate everything she has done for me and the difference she has made. Together, we have survived ISIS terror threats and Jewish charity shows, which were in some ways a lot more stressful than the threats.”

Over the past 30 years, the list of performers, musicians, singers, and even lighting folk that Kuhn has inspired and led to greatness goes on and on. While she has built a strong and dedicated audience, she’s always trying to grow it with people who wouldn’t otherwise come to theatre. In the same way, she’s always looking for new talent for the theatre, and something that hasn’t been seen or nurtured before.